Car-door construction.



L. MILLIS.

GAR DOOR CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED IEB. 11, 1908.

Patented July 13, 1909.

W I TNESSES:

LANSING MILLIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-DOOR CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed February 11, 1908.

Patented July 18, 1909.

Serial No. 415,325.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LANSING lvIILLIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Door Construction, or which the following is a specificatlon.

The invention relates to car door construction and has for its objects; the provision of an improved and simplified form of skeleton door of very rigid construction; the provision of improved means for guiding the door and supporting it against accidental displacement; and the provision of improved means for holding the door in closed position. One embodiment of the invention 1s illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the door,

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line II-1I of Figure 1,

Figures 3 and 1 are detail views 01' the securing means for holding the door in closed position, Figure 3 being a side elevation and Figure 4 a transverse section on the line 1V--IV of Figure 3, and

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged details showing the hanger construction, Figure 5 being a side elevation, Figure 6 a transverse section on the line VI-VI of Figure 5, and Figure 7 being a plan view.

The door is preferably constructed throughout of angle irons, and comprises two vertical side members or stiles l and 2, the bottom member 3, the top member a, and the intermediate horizontal members 5. The vertical side members 1 and 2 are secured to the top member 4 by means of the corner brackets 6 which constitute the hangers of the door, and are each provided with a roller 7 running upon a rail 8 which in the present instance is a pipe. These brackets are bolted to the car body and constitute stops against which the hangers 6 and 7 engage when the door is in its extreme positions. The hangers 6 and 7 are perforated to permit the passage of the rail or track 8, and the play between the rail and the perforations is so slight as' to prevent upward movement of the door upon the rail.

In order to prevent outward movement of the lower edge of the car door, the clip 10 is provided, which clip 10 is secured to the car body and embraces the flange of the section 3 in the manner shown in Figure 2. The

engagement of this member 10 with the flanges of the members 1 and 2 also serves to stop the door when in its extreme positions.

Means for securing the door in closed position is shown in detail inFigures 8 and At. This means comprises a bracket 11, which bracket has the portion 12 encircling the outstanding flange of the member 1 and is also provided with a. perforated finger 13, the perforation in the finger 13 being designed to receive the pin let. The flange of the member 1 is perforated so as to receive the linger 13, and as shown in Figure 4 the insertion of the pin 141 looks the parts securely together.

The structure as described and illustrated constitutes a very rigid and inexpensive door, and also a very safe one, as thepassing of the track or rail through perforations in the hangers reduces to a minimum the danger of accidental detachment of the door tronithe car. The outward movement oil. the lower part or the door is iLlSOzPlOVGDtGtl in a simple and effective manner by means of the clip 10, which, because of the peculiar structure of the door with the end section provided with the outstanding flanges, permits such clip to act as a stop as well as a guide for the lower edge of the door. The use of the hangers 6 and 7 as connecting members between the top member4 and the vertical members or stiles 1 and 2 also reduces the expense and the liability of the accidental displacement of such hangers, which displacement sometimes occurs where the hangers are detachably secured to the body of the door and do not constitute a portion thereof. The locking means is also a desirable one, as the portion 12 engaging the section 1 prevents outward movement of the corner of the door when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1. Other advantages incident to the construction will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The top member 4-, while not constituting a portion of the closure of the door space, serves the important function of bracing the upper ends of the hangers from each other, thus preventing any bending of these parts due to the resistance in opening the door or to the inertia of the door when the car is suddenly stopped or started. This member 1 is also adapted to take against the framing above the guide rail and prevents the lower end of the door from swinging outwardly.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following c l. A sliding car door frame of flanged commercial sections comprising stiles, top and bottom rails, flanged corner connections between the top rail and stiles and stiles having perforations in the flanges below the top rail and a guide rail extending through the perforations.

2. A sliding car door frame comprising top and bottom rails and connecting stiles having outwardly projecting flanges perforated at their upper ends, and a guide rail beneath the top rail extending through the perforations.

8. The combination in a sliding car door construction, of a top rail, stiles, and a pair of corner members for securing the top rail to the stiles each of which constitutes a hanger and is provided with means below the top rail for cooperating with a door track.

4:. The combination with a sliding car door framecomprising vertical stiles, a horizontal rail and corner hangers securing the said members together, of a rail lying below the top rail for cooperating with the said hangers.

5. In combination in a car door construction, a pair of vertical stiles, a top rail, a pair of corner members for securing the stiles and rail together and each provided with a perforation lying below the top rail and a wheel, and a guide rail passing through the said perforations and beneath said wheels and adapted to prevent vertical movement of the corner members thereon.

6. A car door frame of commercial sections comprising a pair of stiles, a bottom rail secured to the stiles, and a top rail, and a pair of corner members for securing the end sections to the top section, each of which corner sections is perforated beneath the top rail for the passage of a guide rail and is provided with a roller for riding upon such rail.

7 A skeleton car door of commercial sections comprising a pair of stiles, a bottom rail secured to the stiles, a top rail, and a plurality of horizontal sections intermediate the top and bottom rails, and secured at their ends to the stiles, and a pair of corner securing members constituting the hangers of the door and provided with means below the top rail for cooperating with a door track.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed witnesses.

LANSING MILLIS.

Witnesses:

PAUL CARPENTER, G. \V. CUNNINGi-IAM. 

